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Chapter 12—The Wilderness Temptation
This chapter is based on
Matthew 4:1-11
;
Mark 1:12, 13
;
Luke
4:1-13
.
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be
tempted by the devil. And He fasted forty days and forty nights, and
afterward He was hungry.” RSV.
Jesus did not invite temptation. He went to the wilderness to be
alone, to contemplate His mission. By fasting and prayer He was to
brace Himself for the bloodstained path He must travel. But Satan
thought this the best time to approach Him.
Mighty issues were at stake. Satan claimed the earth as his and
styled himself “the prince of this world.” He declared that men had
chosen him as their sovereign; through men he held dominion over
the world. Christ had come to disprove Satan’s claim. As the Son of
man, Christ would stand loyal to God. Thus it would be shown that
Satan had not gained complete control of the human race, and that
his claim to the world was false. All who desired deliverance from
his power would be set free.
Satan had known that he did not hold absolute sway over the
world. There was seen in men a power that withstood his dominion.
See
Genesis 3:15
. In the sacrifices offered by Adam and his sons he
discerned a symbol of communion between earth and heaven. He set
himself to intercept this communion. He misrepresented God and
misinterpreted the rites that pointed to the Saviour. Men were led to
fear God as one who delighted in their destruction. The sacrifices
that should have revealed His love were offered only to appease His
wrath.
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When God’s written word was given, Satan studied the prophe-
cies. From generation to generation he worked to blind the people
that they might reject Christ at His coming.
At the birth of Jesus, Satan knew that One had come to dispute
his dominion. That the Son of God should come to this earth as
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